The present invention relates to a brake unit, in particular for use in utility vehicles.
The subject-matter of the invention is in particular brake units designed as wedge brake drums. Basic constructive features of such brake units are already known from the prior art. Usually, a wedge arrangement applies a force onto the brake shoes of a drum brake, the brake shoes are pushed against the inside of a brake drum and thus carry out the braking operation. Up to now, the wedge, in turn, has been driven by a brake cylinder specifically adapted for wedge drum brakes, wherein it was not easily possible to use also for drum brake units, brake cylinders used in brake systems with disk brakes. In particular since disk brakes and also the corresponding brake cylinders are much more widespread in the field of utility vehicles, the brake cylinders for disk brakes are usually manufactured in larger numbers than the special brake cylinders for wedge drum brakes and are therefore less expensive. In addition, it is much more difficult to attach a wedge drum brake cylinder to the corresponding wheel suspension of the utility vehicle than to simply attach a disk brake cylinder, for which standardized interface dimensions may be used.
The object underlying the present invention is to improve a wedge drum brake system such that it is easily possible to attach any brake cylinder while at the same time reducing wear and allowing for a simpler mounting.